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Guild Ball is the game of medieval fantasy football from Steamforged Games. The Century War has wracked the land, and all that forges the fractious nations of the new Empire together is the blood-sport of Guild Ball, brought together by the scheming Guilds. Will you play the slippery Fishermen, the arcane Alchemists, or the suspicious Union? Read some articles, listen to some podcasts, watch some videos, and maybe you’ll find out which is best for you!

Next up on the Raising the Morticians is the Mascot, Dirge. Stats Dirge is a bird, so is super-fast. Apart from that he has pretty standard Mascot stats. He sports low TAC and KICK, average (mascot) INF, and obviously has no ARM, but he does have some decent DEF. Character Traits Dark Doubts – If Dirge is taken out by an enemy attack or play, the enemy team takes a -4MP hit, which if near the end of a turn can wipe out the MPs they have gathered up. Follow-up – Basically, if an opponent advances away from Dirge he gets to follow them afterwards. Flying – He is a bird, he flies… Playbook Dirge has a small playbook, but it does have a tackle and the Guildball is MP generating as well, which is nice. Plays Singled Out – Costs 1 guild ball (equivalent to 1 hit). Friendly models gain +2 TAC against the target model. This is a very nice boost, especially on top of the crowding out bonus as well (and with Cossett it just gets silly). Overall Dirge is an annoying bird that your opponent will need to get rid of at some point, but they won’t want to do it late turn due to Dark Doubts. This means you can somewhat control their activations as the bird will hurt if it doesn’t go down early. Apart from that he can give his INF to Obulus and still keep up with the team, which is very helpful. Original posts can be found here...

Welcome to the next article in my team talk series! No one likes the deadmen, but I suppose they are a viable team. Welcome one and all to Raising the Morticians; as always we start with the Captain, Obulus. Stats Obulus is pretty slow, but this is easily improved with his character traits. His TAC is average for a captain, while his KICK is OK but nothing to get excited about. His DEF is average but he also comes with some ARM. He does have a nice amount of INF, but he can theoretically take nearly all the INF in your team as a maximum; we’ll see why when we cover his plays. Character Traits Shadow Like – Allows Obulus a free dodge at the start of his activation, which generally means he isn’t going to be engaged when he starts doing things. This is incredibly powerful. Unpredictable Movement– As with Shadow Like, this just makes him that much harder to pin down. Legendary Play Rigor Mortis – The enemy team loses all their MPs and you gain the same number. This is insanely powerful against any team. If done late game, it almost guarantees activation next turn and is also worth doing after you have say, handed out lots of conditions and you don’t want the opponents to get rid of said conditions. Playbook Obulus has some damage output in his playbook and 3/5 columns will give MPs. He also has access to Knockdown and Tackle (but they don’t generate MP). Finally, he gets some dodges as well that synergize nicely with his other dodges. Plays Confidence – Costs 1 INF. A friendly model can reroll one OR MORE of their dice on the next attack/character play during their activation. This is really helpful if you need to hit and/or your luck is rubbish, although rerolling misses may not help if you are me. Worth putting on himself when you consider the cost of Puppet Master. Misdirection – Costs 4 INF. Take 1 INF off an enemy model and assign it to a friendly model. Misdirection is very powerful, as you can mess with an opponent’s plans. You have 2 INF to charge? Not anymore! Oh look, Boar is close – at least he can only hit me twice now! It also helps boost your own INF on Obulus, although this is an expensive tactic if it is just 1 more INF for him. Puppet Master – Costs 4 INF. This play gives Obulus a free INF, then target model has to take a Jog, Pass or Attack action controlled by you. As this can be either a friendly or enemy model, it opens up many options. Get someone to pass you the ball so you can shoot (generates an MP and you have that free INF), or just rearrange your pieces (or theirs) on the pitch. Basically, this play give you loads of utility. Overall Despite having some high-priced plays, Obulus is actually pretty INF efficient! Load up with 8 INF, use Misdirection to give himself the INF stolen, then Puppet Master for another INF. This sequence of events means that you have removed 1 INF from an opponent model, then taken control of a model, and STILL have 2 INF left to charge a model or...

So now it’s time for the heavy hitter in the Alchemists’ lineup, Katalyst. Stats Katalyst is pretty fast for a big guy, with good TAC but low DEF and no ARM. His Kick is better than many of the bruisers on other teams, and his INF stat isn’t the worst in the game. He also has 27 health boxes, which I believe is the highest in the game. Character Traits Elemental Infusion – Katalyst only has one trait, but it’s situationally a good one. When he attacks an enemy model with conditions he can gain the following bonuses, depending on the conditions the target has: Poison = +2 TAC Bleed = -1 ARM Burning = +1 DMG on playbook damage results. Pretty nifty! Playbook Four options generate Momentum, and two of those trigger character plays. Katalyst is one of two Alchemists with Knockdown. Plays Intensify– Cost 2, RNG S Pulse 3″. This is a play Katalyst shares with Flask; all enemy models suffering from conditions within 3″ of Katalyst take 2 damage. Super fun if your opponent has bunched up a little, and his 40mm base ups the ante a little. Rabid Animal– Cost 2 Guild balls (three hits), RNG P. Target suffers -4/-4 MOV and gains Poison, the perfect play on a charge for Katalyst ;getting that +2 TAC for his next attack due to Elemental Infusion is rather nice. Overall Katalyst can do surprising amounts of damage if he can hit models with conditions, particularly if your opponent has bunched up a little. That said, players learn pretty quickly and tend not to cluster up, and remove conditions as soon as they can. While he has 27 health boxes, don’t expect Katalyst to hang around for long if you put him in the middle of a force determined to take him out. Once knocked down he is giving away an extra dice when hit...

Vitriol is next up in the lab. Stats Vitriol is straight out fast, with great MOV stats. She has a TAC score that’s better than many strikers, great KICK, with higher than average DEF but no ARM. INF is pretty standard. She is also the only Alchemist player with a 2″ melee range. Character Traits Cover of Darkness – Did I say that Vitriol is fast? Well how about a bonus 2″ move when she starts an advance benefiting from cover? This trait makes her insanely quick. Skilled within Shadow– Vitriol gains +2 TAC against enemies benefiting from cover. You should note that this does not allow her to ignore cover, so you end up with +1 TAC (can’t complain, it’s still positive). Hidden Damage – To round out the cover theme she gains +1 DMG to playbook results when the enemy is benefiting from cover. Playbook Three momentous options, an early tackle, and two results that deal three damage are all pretty sweet. Vitriol also has a low score Push/Dodge to get away from markers before shooting. Plays Smoke Bomb– Costs 1 INF, RNG 8″, AOE 3″. So Vitriol gets a bunch of cool benefits from all things to do with cover right? Well once per turn she can make a smoke cloud that grants cover! It’s almost like they planned it that way! Clone – Cost 2 INF or 2 Guild balls (three hits), RNG S. Clone allows Vitriol to ignore the next Character Play or Playbook result against her, and dodge 2″ just for fun! Nice ability to help keep her safe and sound. Overall Vitriol is a really potent striker; from cover she can hit the goal from 19″ away, or further if you hit and dodge before heading for goal. She has good DEF and Clone helps, but she really doesn’t stand up well to concentrated efforts to take her out. She will score buckets of goals, even if my own Vitriol is at a 50% miss...

Today we move on to Mercury, the fire man. Stats Mercury is pretty fast for a midfielder. He sports average TAC, mediocre DEF and a perfectly average INF (sensing a theme?). He has one point of Armour like his co-midfielder Calculus, and an above average KICK. Character Traits Burning Spirit – Move up to Mercury, or start your activation within an inch of him, and you’ll be Burning. Tactical Advice [Flask] – If he is within 4″ of Flask in the maintenance phase, Mercury gains an INF bonus. Playbook Nothing too exciting here, only two momentous results, but an early tackle is handy sometimes. Plays Fire Blast– Costs 2 INF, RNG 8″, AOE 3″. Neat play that not only deals two damage, but also sets models hit on fire (Burning condition for the rules peeps out there!). Also, if other models end or move through the AOE they gain Burning too. Handy to slow down those enemies! Flame Jet – Costs 3 INF , RNG 6″. Fairly straightforward, three damage and Burning if you hit! Overall Mercury is pretty much exactly what you expect from an Alchemist midfielder: solid, with a good kick stat. Getting Burning out is great for slowing down the enemy and the AOE can funnel people where you want them to...

Next up for the Alchemists is Calculus, one of two central midfielders for the team. Stats Calculus is on the faster side with a higher than average MOV stat. He has low-ish TAC, standard KICK, with average DEF and a point of Armour, which is not that common in the Alchemists. INF is perfectly average too. Character Traits Poison Fumes – Move or activate within an inch of Calculus and you’ll be poisoned. Granted, she can’t just wander up and poison you, but it’s still a neat ability. Playbook Four columns with only two Momentum generating results seems low; then again, if you’ve got Calculus leading the fight you’re probably not getting the best use out of her. Plays Blind – Costs 1 INF, RNG 6″, AOE 3″. Nasty play that will cause enemy models to take -4″ Mov and -4 TAC! One die means you can’t rely on hitting every time, but with bonus time it’s a very good play. Noxious Blast – Costs 2 INF , RNG 8″, AOE 3″. An AOE that remains in play. Models hit take damage and the Poison condition. Enemy models that move through or end their activations in the AOE become poisoned. A nice play that gets conditions on the enemy pretty consistently. Overall Calculus is a solid model for the Alchemists, bringing two good plays to the pitch. With some Armour she can take a little bit of damage, but don’t get her stuck in the middle of the battle or she will...

Time for the obligatory cute mascot chat… what do you mean a little robot can’t be cute? He’s carrying all kinds of cool chemicals on that tray, don’t you know! Let’s talk Flask. Stats Flask is actually faster than you might think. His KICK is pretty standard for a mascot, and his TAC isn’t going to excite you. Low-ish DEF is boosted by good ARM, with standard INF for a mascot to round out his stat line. Character Traits Light Footed – Flask has tracks so nothing slows him down, which does make his MOV better than the raw number. Overheat – When Flask gets taken out, he really gets taken out as he explodes! All models within 3″ take 3 DMG and gain Burning. It can sometimes be fun to run a one-wound, on fire Flask at the enemy and watch them try to scatter. Smoke Cloud – Once per turn, Flask can place a smoke cloud centered on him. Handy for when you might need a patch of cover. Playbook Flask’s playbook looks light with only two columns, but with one hit generating a momentous Guild Ball token result, it’s better than it looks. He has a tackle, but I wouldn’t use him to steal the ball very often! Plays Intensify– Cost 2, RNG S Pulse 3″. Flask may only have one play but it’s a good one. All enemy models with 3″ of Flask take 2 damage if they are suffering from any conditions. Super fun if your opponent has bunched up a little. Overall Flask isn’t the most amazing mascot in the game, as he often just wanders around not dying. The times you manage to get Intensify off, and follow-up with Katalyst, it can be really potent. The damage threat from taking him out often cause opponents to leave him be. His smoke cloud can also be really useful, depending on who you take in your team (more on that in a future...

Welcome to our celebratory 50th episode! Bwoot bwoot! 🙂 We have the lucky winner of the Clockwork Dragon OzMachine prize on as our special guest, Blacky! He joins us as we talk about Minions, building a community (specifically in Ballarat, but pertaining to any newish meta) and then we talk about Naaresh. Also after our preamble is our first Guild Ball segment! We give people who may not have heard about the game a primer on the game, delving into some of the basic rules, the guilds themselves, and then our plans for the game. The excitement is palbable! Feedback, comments, criticisms and most of all, suggestions for topics are greatly appreciated. Catch us on Twitter: Big Deno @sious69 Moops @Warcast Leeper @billiamsthorpe Cheers for listening! Deno Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:12:33 — 176.3MB)Subscribe: Android |...

It’s time to take peek into the lab and see what the Alchemists have cooked up… what do you mean only the Bear can do cheesy intros?! As ever, let’s start out with the Captain for the team, Midas. Stats Midas’ stats pretty much gives you the idea that he is more about agility than brute force, with higher than average MOV, good KICK, high-end DEF, and no ARM. He has a higher than normal max INF, with the standard captain-level TAC. Character Traits Light Footed – To keep with the fast and not-so-furious theme, rough ground is no impediment to Midas. Unpredictable Movement –Advance into Midas’ melee range and he can skip away (Dodge 2″) once per turn, just to make him even harder to pin down. Heroic Play Metallic Skin – Midas is one of the few models that has both a Heroic and a Legendary Play. Metallic Skin allows Midas to pick one of the following benefits for a turn: +1 DMG to playbook damage results, +1 ARM, or +2/+2 MOV. All have their use, but the MOV option makes him one of the fastest models in the game. Legendary Play Pseudoepigraphy – Once he uses this play, the Alchemists team gains one Momentum each time Midas spends an INF point, to a maximum of three Momentum. This means Midas can self-generate INF to shoot a goal from downtown if the Alchemists win the initiative. Playbook Midas has the standard 6 columns, access to both T and KD (though the latter does require lots of hits), with KD being rare for the Alchemists overall. Early access to a Guildball logo and double logo make for some interesting choices, especially in conjunction with one of character plays. Plays True Replication – Costs 5 INF, RNG 8″. I know, 5 INF! What the ability allows Midas to do is copy any play from an enemy non-captain, human model. So Midas could copy Lob Barrel from Stave, or Where’d he go from Greyscales for even more speed. The added bonus is that if the copied play can be triggered by Guildball symbols on the original model, Midas can do so too… and remember that he has a single Guildball in column one… Scything blow on one hit anyone?! Heavy Burden – Costs 1 INF or 1 Guild ball (one hit), RNG 6″. A really nice de-buff that drops MOV -4/-4 and -2 dice to character plays. It can only be used once per turn, but it’s a good choice. Clone – Cost 2 INF or 2 Guild balls (three hits), RNG S. Clone allows Midas to ignore the next Character Play or Playbook result against him, and dodge 2″ just for fun! Nice ability to help keep Midas safe and sound. Overall When you first look at Midas you’ll most likely scratch your head and think “Hmm… he looks ok but…”, and you’d be wrong. He is a really versatile model that can do almost anything other than stand toe to toe and bash. True, he does really shine when playing a fast kicking game, but if you choose to replicate an offensive play and use his Heroic play to get +1 ARM, he can really take it to the opponent’s team. True Replication isn’t something I do every game, as it does...